The University of Alabama’s School of Leadership and Policy has begun accepting applications for its new Master of Public Policy program ahead of the school’s Fall 2027 opening.
The school will offer a Bachelor of Arts in public policy, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership and a Master of Public Policy.
UA announced the School of Leadership and Policy in November 2025 after the UA System of Trustees approved its creation. At the time, the school’s degree programs were still being developed.
Retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Parker Wright began serving as the school’s inaugural dean Aug. 1. Wright is overseeing the development of the school’s faculty, academic programs and partnerships ahead of its opening.
Wright said the school’s programs are designed to prepare students for leadership and public policy work.
“The school will launch with programs in organizational leadership and public policy, designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills and real-world experiences needed to lead organizations, solve complex public challenges and serve communities across Alabama and beyond,” Wright said.
The new school will join existing leadership and public policy programs at UA, including the Shelby Institute for Policy and Leadership and the Blackburn Institute.
Daniela Susnara, director of academics for the Shelby Institute, said Shelby will remain an interdisciplinary program serving students across colleges rather than being housed within the new school.
“I think the work the school will be doing will be really complementary to what we’re doing, so we’re definitely going to be distinct,” Susnara said.
Susnara said more than 600 students applied to become Shelby Scholars last year, exceeding the institute’s capacity.
Woods Hobbs, a senior majoring in political science and legal history and student chairperson of the Blackburn Institute, said Blackburn has also seen growing demand from students interested in leadership and policy opportunities.
“There is a huge demand,” Hobbs said. “We are hitting record numbers of applicants each year, and there’s simply just not enough spots for all of them.”
Landon Bruski, a junior majoring in management information systems, said he would consider pursuing the Master of Public Policy.
“I think the School of Leadership and Policy fills that track that we need to have for public policy,” Bruski said. Aubrei Grisaffe, a graduate student pursuing a Master of Arts in Management, said she would have considered the school’s programs had they been available earlier.
Grisaffe earned her bachelor’s degree in political science and a Master of Public Administration. She said the new school could allow students to develop similar skills through one academic program.
“To have a one-stop shop for all of those skills is going to make it easier for students to get that experience,” Grisaffe said.
Students will have opportunities for practical experience through internships, policy labs and community-based projects with public institutions, according to the school’s website.
Hobbs said he hopes those opportunities extend beyond campus.
“I hope that it offers many opportunities for hands-on engagement to work in Montgomery, to work in D.C. and see what Alabama has to offer and keep students in Alabama who care about leadership and policy,” Hobbs said.
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